Project Star Dust
by VannuroRB
Summary: Somewhere in the dark forgotten labs there are humans who still exist; and somewhere else there is a door that leads to home. Puzzleshipping, yaoi, sci-fi, stuff.
1. Awaken

I shouldn't write these things. I am not educated in the world of science to even consider writing a science fiction story.

Nevertheless, I did as much research (yeah right) as I could and I'll give it a shot. Bring on the mind boggling!

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Chapter 1-Awaken

There was a loud hiss as the container started to lower the pressure to meet with the rooms conditions, it creaked under the long neglect condition it was left in but managed to pull itself long enough before it opened up, the long groaning creak followed the door as it swung open before hitting the wall with a thud. Small drips ran out of the large coffin and broke on the iron walkway; inside the ice packed container was a male body that seemed unresponsive.

He was young and pale in colour, the ice that had once been wrapped around his body now had cracks and after a few moments of meeting the rooms temperature broke away to reveal more of his intact body, once enough of his shackles had broken away he tipped out of his coffin and hit the walkway with a louder thud. He was still a few moments before his fingers lightly twitched to life, his soft skin felt against the rusted metal before his eyes weakly opened, blinking a few times to regain his vision his crimson eyes looked around at his scenery in confusion and weakness.

'Sir? Sir? Can you hear me?' He tried moving his lips to speak but they were stuck like glue and he could not move more than light twitches to his muscles 'Please wait here sir, I shall return in a moment'.

He could hear thuds of footsteps shuddering the walkway before there was a echoing bang and he was sure he was alone once more, with a small gasp his cracked lips parted and he began to take deeper breaths feeling his chest ache in numbness, his eyes widened more with awareness and he took better time to observe his surroundings.

It was a dark abyss filled with many containers hanging on the wall like pods of seeds, some of the doors were open but empty while others were still sealed tight, walkways followed along the line of the containers disappearing into the dim darkness that seemed to go on for forever. He was not sure where he was, or why he was in such a daunting place but he knew that he had to find a way out.

Grunting in small pain he managed to move his arms to make their muscles loosen before he shakily pushed himself up so he rested on his knees, panting at the simple but hard task he looked down at his hands that were long and slender, his arms that joined at the wrist were perfectly proportioned and clicked into his shoulders like a puzzle.

'Sir, please' He was helped up to stand on his knees before he was gently eased back to sit against the wall 'It is not healthy for you to move too much…or…was it healthy…?'

He looked up at the owner of the voice before staring deep at the object in front of him; a humanoid robot stood by his side, the silver plating that provided as armour began to get dirty and old barely hanging on its frame, its wiry fingers were holding onto his shoulders to keep him sitting up straight and one large blue light stared back at him serving as its eye.

'You…you're a…robot…' He managed to croak out.

'Ah yes that is true' He replied with a nod of his head 'But you do not need to worry'.

He gave a small nod and ran his hand through his hair 'I…you…where…am I…?'

'I wish I could answer but I…ahem…seem to have forgotten' The robot answered almost embarrassed 'But you are lucky I have found you some clothes'.

He looked down as his hands left his shoulders and handed the male some clothes, he took the old clothes and once checking them over stiffly put them over his body so he was dressed, once his body covered he felt a slight warmth come from them that woke his body more before he turned to the robot.

'Please…where-'

'Ah, I have to give you a routine check' The robot interrupted before holding the male's face in his electric hands 'Now…what is two plus two?'

'Four' The male croaked then watched as the robot took his hands away and held one up, however the wired finger that should have been his thumb was held down.

'How many fingers?'

'Four…'

'Right and can you feel this?' He then moved closer and pressed a finger against the males' skin before he yelped at the slight shock he received.

'Yes' He grumbled and rubbed his arm.

'Good your senses seem to be responding well…or I have performed the wrong test…I can't remember…'

He looked at the robot and rolled his shoulders back feeling his body loosen more 'So…umm…what's your name?'

'My name?' The robot questioned then looked away 'I do not…my license is V.I.A.I one-two-six-eight KK'.

He stared at the robot with a blank and confused face 'V.I.A.I?'

'Very intelligent artificial intelligence' He answered 'Or…I think it stands for that…'

He gave a small chuckle 'Well that's…long. How about I call you…umm…Robo?'

'Robo? What does that mean?'

'It doesn't have to mean anything…it'll be your name'.

'Robo' He gave a small hum but nodded 'Yes I like it…Robo likes it…'

'Robo…' The male then pushed himself to standing, and though his legs shook he persisted to stand by holding onto the wall 'Robo, where am I?'

'As I said before…I think I have forgotten'.

'Okay…' He then looked to Robo 'You…forget a lot of things Robo?'

'No. Or…I think so…' Robo hummed again 'Can't remember a time if I did remember something...'

'I see…' He then moved closer to Robo and inspected him closely, looking in between the cracks of his armour to see the wires and the black frame that supported him 'I don't think anyone would create you to forget things'.

'Oh…that…that is true' Robo said dismally as the male moved round to the back.

He looked up before noticing a door open at the back of Robo's head, he looked into it seeing computer chips and many electrical compartments hidden inside, he gave a hum and noticed there was a slot empty where it looked like chips slipped inside easily.

'What's this?' He reached up to take one of the chips down before noticing Robo slumped on his legs barely standing up 'Robo?'

He quickly slipped the chip back in and with a small buzz of life Robo stood up and flexed his fingers before looking around confused.

'Did I doze off?' He questioned before spotting the male 'Ah! A human!'

'I think that was your power Robo…sorry…'

'Robo?'

He sighed 'I named you Robo. Remember?'

'But…what does that mean?'

'Nothing. It's just a name' He moved round to the back of Robo's head and tried shutting the small door but it drifted open again 'It looks like the back of your head got damaged and you lost a chip thing. That's why you can't remember anything'.

'Seems…probable' Robo hummed 'But…area too big to look for a chip. Could be anywhere by now'.

'That's okay, I'll help look for it Robo' He offered with a smile 'It can't have gone too far'.

'Thank you…'

He gave a smile before turning to Robo 'Hey Robo…what's my name?'

'You do not know your name?' He shook his head making Robo hum 'I…do not know either…'

'Would someone else know my name?'

'Doubtful. There are no other humans I can tell from this area'.

His face fell as he looked around 'But…what about…all those? I-I came from one of those right?'

'Deceased. I think' Robo looked around 'Too many to remember how many there is…most have passed activation date, you are lucky to be alive'.

He shook his head 'No there has to be someone else here. I can't be the only person here'.

'Maybe in this docking bay'.

'Docking bay? Are you saying there are more of these places?'

'Certainly. There are four docking bays each with their mandatory V.I.A.I's, oh…but they might not be working…not good for working long time without maintenance'.

'But…there could be a chance right? Someone is still alive?'

Robo hummed but nodded 'A very small per cent'.

'Great well let's go look for them'.

Robo stared down at the male before shaking his head 'Unable to search'.

'Why?'

'Transportation failed. Many of the exits and entrances do not work, electrical base I think'.

He gave a sigh and looked out over to the many containers hanging on the walls, knowing that he was the only survivor in this docking bay but that there could be others waiting to be freed or searching just like he was was something he could not ignore, he turned back to Robo with a determined look.

'I'm going to find them. You can come if you want Robo or not, but you won't stop me'.

Robo stared at the male 'There is a word for this…oh…umm…'

He gave a light smile 'Determination?'

'Yes…determine…determined…determination…where one does something with much willpower. I will…come with you if you think I will be of use to you'.

'You might be. You know this place better than I do'.

'Then I would like to…if to find my missing chip as well'.

He gave a nod and walked with Robo as they began their search for more survivors.

*******************************End of chapter 1******************************

Mysterious main character is mysterious!

By the way I totally imagine Robo to have a British accent…I mean why the hell not?

Review and stay tuned for the next chapter!


	2. Yami

If Sci-fi taught me anything it's this…

Logical dominates fantasy! And I totally don't follow this rule!

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Chapter 2-Yami

He watched Robo stare at the control pad for the large metal doors for their exit, he rose his brow as Robo seemed to be unresponsive before he lifted his eye to stare at the human, if Robo were human he would have surely given a shy smile to match his words.

"I'll remember it soon" He assured and turned back to stare at the pad.

The male gave a sigh and rubbed the back of his neck feeling his bones click back into a comfortable walking position "You must remember it…you got me clothes right?"

"Ah…yes…" Robo gave a small metallic hum "Aha! It's my licensing number" Robo's fingers quickly tapped the number in and once it registered the door gave a small beep before opening its jaws for the two to walk through.

The male gave a shiver as he felt the warmth air hit into his face as he walked through, the doors closed and they stood in a small container room with the next set of doors still closed, he looked around the plain and strong looking room spotting only a broken camera as the only object in the room.

"Specimen detected" A voice said making the male look around "Preparing antidote".

"What's happening?" The male asked turning to Robo.

"Oh…umm…routine check" Robo answered keeping his eye on the male "Just in case you have…an illness and such…"

The nervous tone in his voice made the male weary before he hissed and turned to his arm, a needle had poked through his skin being held onto by an electronic arm, it took a few moments for the liquid to enter his body before it retracted and hid once again in the wall where the panel fell over it. The male rubbed his sore arm before turning to Robo.

"What was that about?" He demanded.

"I…honestly don't know" Robo responded "But…I'm sure it's a positive thing".

He gave an unsure hum but looked up as the next set of doors opened, allowing the two to walk out into the more open spaced room. The white washed room gleamed brightly, causing the male to shield his eyes from the bright light; however he continued to walk forwards with Robo by his side. It was empty, and the corridor seemed to stretch further than his eyes could see, a corridor covered in the white glow of the walls. It was perfectly untouched, only a few panels from the walls and floors had corroded away over time, showing the black frame it had inside. Above him was the perfectly bright and blue sky, a few clouds here and there, and the sun shining brightly down on them. He could guess that it was some sort of illusion; however he could not take his eyes off of the pristine picture above him.

"What is this place Robo?" He asked in a whisper, still able to hear his echo bounce off the walls as well as their footsteps.

"This…this is…" Robo paused in his sentence as he thought over the question "I am not sure…I believe…this is a meeting area…I think…"

"Meeting area?" He repeated as he walked over to one of the loose panels, lightly peeling it back so he could examine the insides of the building "Meeting who exactly?"

"Other people…erm…presumably…" Robo found his electronic fingers flexing out of nerves "I am sorry, all these questions you must have…and I am of no use".

"It's fine Robo" He turned back to the robot with a small reassuring smile "I don't mind. I can find out on my own".

The male paced around, taking in the quiet and empty atmosphere, before stopping and looking down below his feet. The floor had been torn apart, leaving a large dark hole in its place, going down to a level he could not make out from where he stood. He attempted to move closer to the edge of the gap, but as he stood on the broken flooring, it gave an unstable shiver causing him to back away.

"Robo…where does this lead to?" He queried when the robot moved closer.

"I…am unsure" Robo replied, an unsure tone in his voice once again "Most likely…to maintenance rooms?"

"Oh" The male glanced around, seeing a suitable stepping platform of broken flooring to his right, it lead down into the dark passage below him "I guess we should investigate huh?"

"A-Absolutely not!" Robo backed away from the edge, holding his hands out "Not only is it restricted to personnel, it could be highly dangerous! You've only just woken up, there's no telling what could damage you when you go down! It is much safer to stay up here, don't you agree?"

The male raised his brow, but ended up giving a hum and walking over to Robo "Yes…I suppose so…"

"G-Good…" Robo gave a small sigh and turned to walk away "As your carer, it is my duty to make sure you don't get injured. Now, if we stay here and wait for someone-"

"See you later Robo!"

Robo spun back around, giving a startled yelp as the male ran back towards the hole and took a running jump, landing on one of the unstable platforms and continuing down. He hopped from floor to floor, descending deeper into the dark hallway.

Robo ran back to the edge, watching the human continue down until he was on the edge of darkness "W-Wait! Oh…" Robo gave an unsure glance to the flooring, watching it wobble from the male's last touch to it "I-I wasn't built for jumping!" Regardless, he did a stiff jump to it, and proceeded to follow the male down.

Once he was at the last floor piece, the male looked around him before jumping off, landing on the ground with a small thud. After brushing off some of the dust on his clothes, he looked around down the dark corridor expecting someone to appear, but it was just as deafly quiet as the hallway above him was. He stood up to full height, looking around once again, before spotting an outline of a door in the wall, no sign to signify what was behind it.

"O-Oh my!"

He turned around to see the robot trying to keep his balance on the platforms, wobbling lightly as it tried to stay stuck to its wall, while attempting to keep the body weight of Robo. With the threat of it collapsing, Robo took the risk and jumped, landing on the floor with a heavier thud due to his mechanics.

"Robo!" The male ran over to the robot, helping it him up back onto his feet "Are you alright?"

"Quite…yes" Robo answered, shaking his head to disperse any confusion "On any rate, you should not be down here. You have no sure way of getting back up, and it could be dangerous".

"I'm sure we'll be fine" He reassured, then pointing to the door "I found a door, that's a good start right?"

"But, what if there is staff there? How will we explain ourselves?"

"Well…we'll say we were looking for someone" He reasoned, shrugging his shoulders "I'm sure they would understand".

"I suppose…"

The male gave a smile and moved closer to the door, holding the handle and opening it, making sure to take it slowly in case there were people within. As he peeked into the room however, he was only met with a single flickering light that made a small patch of floor visible, there was no other signs of life.

"Well…no one in here…" The male suspired, but walked in nevertheless "We might as well look around".

"Might I remind you, it is in my protocol to make sure no regulations are broken" Robo reprimanded, as the male walked in "It is only to be broken in cases of emergency".

"Well…this is an emergency right?"

The robot fell silent before giving a sigh, walking in with the human as he tried to peer through the darkness "I suppose so, but still, I worry what others might think if they find us in this predicament".

"Starting to think there isn't anyone left…" He mused under his breath, giving one last glance around the darkness before moving towards the light, barely making out what appeared to be a computer board "What's this Robo?"

"I'm afraid I don't know" Robo answered, looking to the many buttons and screens displayed "I am sorry I am no help to you".

"Well…one of these buttons must do something" He began to press the buttons, listening out in case something had activated "I mean…this room has power right? The light was left on…"

After pressing many of the buttons, he pressed the particular one, and a loud hum stirred in the darkness. Red light filled the room as the male looked up at the screen in front of him, hanging over the long desk and acting as, what appeared to be the main computer. It loaded up slowly for a few moments, before a large digital eye opened up on the screen, looking down at the two in silence.

"Identification please" A droned and echoing voice demanded.

The male stood in silence, receiving the painful reminder that he did not know what his identity was, he had hoped to have found someone or something that would give him his answers.

"License V.I.A.I one-two-six-eight KK" Robo answered, pulling the male out of his thoughts briefly.

"License confirmed" The voice replied, the eye then moving up to stare directly ahead of it "What is it your task for today?"

"How did you know it was going to work?" The male queried.

"Oh…well…it asked for identification" Robo answered shyly "That is my identification…"

He gave a hum before turning back to the screen, looking up at the giant eyeball, watching the darkness behind them intently "Can you tell me what this place is?" However, his question was greeted with silence "What the…? Why won't it answer me?"

"Perhaps…it only responds to certain voices" Robo suggested.

"Oh…well…can you ask it what this place is?"

"Very well. What is this facility?"

"This is the Toyama research facility" The computer voice answered "Here, many researches develop new grounds for cell growth and genetic alterations, for outside world usage. The latest projects include; The Fuji project, the Anima project, and the Star Dust project".

"That…wasn't useful…" The male mused "I don't…even know what projects are what…"

"Umm…perhaps I could have you identified" Robo suggested, looking up to the eye "Can you identify this human for me please?"

The eye then moved, staring down at the male in front of it, and causing him to jump back out of fright. It stared deeply at him for a few short moments, taking in his appearance, before several various screens popped up around the eye. Only one stood out notably, and that was one with the males' picture, filling up the perimeter of the screen.

"Subject number; two-four-zero-zero-two. Named; Yami. Docking bay; South wing. Age; nineteen. Blood type; AB. Subject to; Project Star Dust. Report; a healthy and viable test subject".

"My name…is Yami…?" He gave a small smile, feeling a small sense of completion to himself, before he frowned and turned to Robo "I'm a test subject?"

"Much like everyone else…or…so I think".

"What kind of test subject?" Yami demanded "Was I experimented on? Mutilated? What?"

"I…am…not certain on the details of the test performed" Robo tried to defend, finding his fingers tapping against each other "I-I was just a maintenance robot after all…"

"Tell me Robo; what happened with me?"

"P-Please, I do not know much…the only information I was given about specific humans…was that I was to report on any changes in growth, good or otherwise. I-I'm afraid that's all I know…"

Yami gave a sigh, running a hand through his hair as he turned away "Okay…I'm sorry…I-I just…I want to know what the hell happened…"

"I-I know…it must be hard for you…I forgotten a lot myself".

Yami could not help but give a small chuckle at the amusing thought "Yeah. That is true" Yami then looked up at the eye, staring back as it did to him "Do you think you can ask it if there's anyone else alive?"

"Oh, quite" Robo then turned back to the screen "Is there a chance that there's someone else alive in this facility?"

"One moment please" The eye returned to its fixed spot on the wall, acting as if it were in concentration, before returning to the people in front of it "There are several signs of life in various parts of the facility".

A wide smile came on Yami's face "I knew it! I'm not alone! If only I knew where they were…"

"Do you think it's possible to bring up some security footage of said areas?" Robo asked politely.

"One moment please".

"Security footage?" Yami repeated perplexed.

"Well…it just seemed so…natural to ask…"

"Security footage as asked" The computer voice said, closing its eye and allowing a box with a screen to cover it over, playing out the security footage the computer had found.

However the first image was pure black, Yami squinted to see if he could make out anything through the darkness, but nothing was visible to him "I can't see anything in that…it's too dark".

The image then changed, revealing a livelier image of black and white static speeding across the screen, making Yami frown again "Well that one clearly doesn't work!"

"The technical equipment…has been here for a long time…" Robo reasoned quietly, but it fell on ignoring ears.

The next image appeared, however this time, it caught Yami's interest. A fully developed image of a corridor showed a man slowly turning a corner, he did not seem to notice the camera as he continued to walk down a passage, a rather large rifle held in both his hands. Before Yami could say anything about what he had saw, the image swapped with another static filled camera, and then moving to the next camera.

"N-No! Wait! Someone was there!" Yami called out to the computer, but it refused to listen to him, forcing him to turn to Robo "Robo tell it to go back! Back to that camera!"

"Err…please go back to images".

"Affirmative" The computer did as it was asked, skipping back through the cameras until it stopped at the image of a corridor, the man had moved on however.

Yami stared at the screen, expecting his head to lightly bob above the camera line and assure him he had not been dreaming, but there was only stillness from the image.

"Damn! He was there! I swear!" Yami exclaimed, turning to Robo in hopes he had believed him "You believe me right? I saw someone!"

"I did ask for only footage from areas where life was…" Robo then gave a nod to the male "Yes, I believe you did see someone".

"But…where is that place? Is it close or far?"

"Umm…computer, where is the position of this camera?"

"North wing, corridor two-two, camera four-six-three" The computer responded.

"North wing…I believe that's opposite the main ring…" Robo hummed as he tilted his head in thought "The only way to reach there would be the speed transport…but…I'm not sure if that works still…"

"Well…we'll have to see, won't we?" Yami looked up at the computer before turning around, looking at the room that was bathed in the red glow of the computer, spotting an odd item leaning against the wall "Hey Robo…that thing…"

Yami stepped closer, unsurely looking at it before tilting his head, looking at the bulky and heavy design of the weapon "The man I saw…he had this too…what do you think it is?"

"That is…" Robo stepped closer, leaning to it to inspect its design with a curious hum "That appears to be one of the many assault rifles this facility has. I believe they also tested on new and improved weapons…"

"Seeing that he had one…do you think I should take it?" Yami queried, letting a hand out to feather over its sleek and almost alien like design.

"I see no reason why you should have it" Robo replied, turning to the male "Unless you're planning on shooting me".

Yami gave a small chuckle, gripping the handle and pulling it up from the wall, having to rest it in his arms due to its heavy weight "No, but, if people aren't as friendly as they seem…I suppose I should protect myself".

"That is true…and I'm sure that there is no way for me to persuade you either".

"Probably not" Yami looked over the design once more, giving a confused frown as he tried to figure out how to handle it, finding it much more comfortable for one hand to grip the handle and the other to hold the body "How do you suppose it works…?"

Yami's finger then lightly squeezed on the trigger, giving off a loud boom that startled the male, watching as the wall he had accidentally targeted burned a hole through its skeleton. The two were left speechless at the destructive power of the weapon, and Yami slowly and quietly eased his hand away from the trigger, and placed it on the grip instead.

"I…believe, in our best interest…you don't shoot that very often" Robo uttered, looking to Yami "Unless…you're very certain of it".

"I'll try to keep that in mind…" Yami responded breathlessly. He looked down at the gun once again, feeling the slight heat it emitted from being fired, before turning to the door and away from the hole "Let's…get to that speed transport, okay?"

"Yes…" Robo gave one last fearful look to the damage, before following Yami out of the room, stopping when he looked up and down the corridor "Are you planning on climbing you're way back up? I-I am not built for climbing either…"

"Well…I was thinking there'd be stairs" Yami then pointed his gun out to the right, deeper into the shadows "That way is probably the best place to start, right?"

"P-Please, don't wave that thing around so lightly!"

"Oh…sorry" Yami held the gun close to his body to assure Robo, but turned back to the blackness filling the corridor "So, do you want to come?"

"Y-Yes, but I tell you this; I wasn't built for stairs either!" However, Robo followed Yami into the darkness, leaving behind the security room and the computer.

They had come across several locked doors as they searched through the corridor, feeling disappointed and curious as to what laid behind each door, but soon only one door opened and once Yami ventured in lightly he found a flight of stairs. Yami climbed the stairs with ease, only stopping on a few steps to wait for Robo, who was having trouble bending his body parts to climb the stairs. Once reaching the top, Yami felt his hand over the door, and sought out for the door handle which he turned. With luck, the door swung open, and revealed the pure white corridor he had seen before.

"Look Robo, you're almost there" Yami attempted to encourage, watching the android give a groan as he conquered another step "You can do it, I believe in you".

"Touching words…but I fear you lack the truth in them" Robo replied, taking a moment to catch a non-existent breath.

"Do you doubt me?" Yami queried, tilting his head "You're my friend Robo, and I believe in whatever you do".

Robo was silent for a few thoughtful moments, before standing to his full height, and looking up at Yami with his large blue eye "Truly? Though you and I are different species?"

"Of course. You're not that different to me Robo" Yami gave a smile, walking back down several steps "Do you need me to help you?"

"Ah, that is quite alright, thank you" Robo managed to force his feet up the next few steps, giving a sigh of relief when he walked into the brightly lit passage "Well…that felt like a lot".

Yami waited by as Robo regained his strength, then giving a thoughtful frown "How come you're not able to climb stairs?" Yami queried.

"Well…I suppose…I wasn't really designed to go anywhere that had stairs" Robo responded, though did not sound convinced by his own explanation "So…why need to add the ability to?"

"I guess that makes sense…well, I'll have to help you with stairs if we come across them again, am I right?"

"Thank you…you are too kind".

Yami watched as Robo managed to stand to his full height, mumbling about having the ability to feeling aching pains, once his friend was alright he looked around the area "So…this speed transport thing…is it here?"

Robo gave a hum, looking around also before spotting the transport ahead of him "Ah, there it is. Just over there".

Yami looked to where Robo pointed, seeing a large lump of technology sitting by itself "Oh yeah, thanks Robo".

Yami took off into a run towards it, leaving Robo to groan again, but give a slower and weaker paced run after him. Yami reached the transport and looked over it. The machinery itself had not been damaged, but even from where Yami stood, it was dead on power. The sleek glass lid made it difficult to see through to the interior of the car, the single line track it was attached to rose high into the wall and disappeared through a gap, and a box sat next to the device where presumably the inner workings were stashed. As Robo joined by his side, Yami gave a hum and knelt down, placing his gun to the side and pulling open the box lid. Inside were colours of many varieties, hanging on the wires that were stretched and tangled within each other, and a small sign that showed how much power it had—it was empty.

"Hmm…we'll need to power it up…" Yami mused.

"Just as I predicted, there isn't much power lying around unfortunately" Robo said dismally.

Yami gave another hum, then looking up at his friend with a curious gaze "Say Robo…how are you still functioning?"

"Me? Oh…well I have many power boxes in my body" Robo explained, turning more serious and informative with Yami's question "Each holds a large amount of power, so I can work for many years without ever stopping. Of course, I need to be refilled every so often, but as of now I am fully charged".

"So…is it safe to say…I could borrow some of your power?" Yami then gave a nod to the machine "To power the speed transport".

"I…I don't know, I-I don't think it's possible-no".

"At least try" Yami persisted, standing up and looking around Robo "There must be some kind of wire or something that gives off power".

"N-No! You don't know your way around electronics; you could damage me or yourself! Or worse, blow us up!"

"Ah…what do we have here?" Yami leant closer, finding a small locked door at the base of his back. Yami quickly peeled it open, seeing many of the wires inside his body join to a small black box, presumably his power source "I think I found it".

"F-Found what? Wh-What are you doing back there? Ah!" Robo's body gave an odd twitch as Yami poked and fiddled with his inner workings, creating much panic in the robot as he attempted to look over his shoulder "Y-You don't know what you're doing!"

"It'll be fine" Yami soothed, pulling out a large plug that gave an odd hiss when detached "I think I found it, Robo sit down for me please".

"O…Oh…" Robo found himself caving in, sitting down as he was ordered to, and making sure his back faced the power box "I-I hope you know what you're doing…"

"Mmhmm" Was Yami's response, looking to the prongs of the socket and the power box, luckily finding a socket to match. It gave another odd hiss, but sprang to life in its new place, filling up power to the speed transport in seconds "Robo you did it!"

"I-I did?" Robo queried, trying to look behind him, but finding it unable to do so "I-I can't see. A-And I feel tingly".

"It'll be alright Robo" Yami waited a few more moments to make sure the power source had enough energy, then unplugging Robo from the box, he forced the plug back into his power box in his back "There, that should be enough I think".

"O-Oh…there's a word for this…" Robo muttered, feeling Yami seal up his back once again "A word…for someone…who commits bad acts…for pleasure…"

Yami turned to Robo, a small playful smirk growing "Mischievous?"

"No…that term…does not describe you…"

"Devilish?"

"Yes…yes that is…what you are like sir…"

Yami gave a chuckle, standing up on his feet again, and helping Robo up too "Sorry, but it worked, didn't it?"

"Yes I…I believe so…"

Yami turned to the speed transport, looking over its design once again before noticing the small button in its side, he pressed the button out of curiosity and watched as the glass lid opened up before them.

"Whoa…uh…do you know how to control this Robo?" Yami queried, leaning inside to feel over the smooth seats.

"No…but…I believe the controls are simple…"

"Right…" Yami then stepped inside, leaning out only to pick up his gun, and rest it into the seat next to him "Well, I'll try it out, you take the back seat, okay Robo?"

"Okay…" Robo gave a glance at the wall around the seats, but attempted to raise his leg and step inside, it was an awkward few moments for Robo but he managed to get himself seated inside "Why must everything be so high?"

Yami gave a chuckle but looked up as the glass lid began to close, sealing them inside the vehicle and giving them a view of the white corridor they were planning to leave, a small light panel popped up in front of Yami. Several options were available; such as destinations to other places, progress reports on projects, security and so on. However, Yami had his eyes on the only place he wanted to go to, the North wing.

"Okay, let's go" Yami pressed on the icon titled 'North wing' and listened as the engines began to whir.

Looking out the window, Yami watched the building began to move as the vehicle moved along the tracks, turning upwards when they were reaching the gap for the transport. He was not sure what awaited him, but with knowledge of his identity and the promise of other people in the same building, he had to find them and move on to the next step.

*******************************End of chapter 2******************************

Well, I bet you were all thinking it was Yugi. Nope.

And who was on the security tapes eh? And is he friendly? Well…we'll see…we'll see…

Review and stay tuned for the next chapter!


	3. You are Star Dust

Did anyone guess who the person was? Huh? HUH?

Did you get it right?

* * *

Chapter 3-You are Star Dust

Sitting in the front of the transport, Yami watched the compacted tunnel move over the glass, only barely making out the faint lines of each panel they passed. Occasionally, they passed through open rooms, but the transport was too fast for Yami to observe the rooms they had sped through. He only hoped that they weren't passing over someone, knowing that being alone in the building was truly a fate worse than death.

The transport gave a hum as it began to slow down, making Yami lean slightly in his seat to see the opening approach them, before they were carried into the bright light. As the transport slowed down to its stopping station, Yami looked out into the identical corridor that greeted them. Pristine white walls, a ceiling that had a clear blue sky, and a seemingly endless passage to nowhere. And within it, no sign of any other life.

The glass gave a groan as it opened up, but allowed time for Yami to hop out, and pick up the gun he had stashed away as well. The male turned to look around him, still expecting to see the other person standing waiting for them, however there was nothing for him that he had not already seen.

"Oh my" Robo gave a grunt as he struggled to leave his seating, but after a few struggling attempts, he managed to stumble out next to Yami "Promise me we'll never ride that thing again".

"Hm?" Yami looked back to the transport "But it's our only way of getting to different places" Robo gave a sigh, hanging his head as he did so "Don't worry, I'll help you out next time Robo, okay?"

"Then why didn't you this time?"

"I…got distracted" Yami looked back down the corridor, placing his gun against his shoulder "Hm? By what?"

"By…this" Robo looked out onto the corridor, not seeing anything important to catch anyone's interest "It's…so big. Do you think we'll ever find anyone in here?"

"If you are willing to search continuously. Then yes, I believe so".

Yami gave a small chuckle "I just…I feel so small, compared to how large this place is…I wonder if what I'm doing, is actually smart".

Robo glanced to Yami, noticing his dejected look in his eyes, before turning his head away "Insignificance, I believe the word is called, right?"

"Yeah…" Yami sucked in a breath, before moving on ahead "Let's keep moving, we can't progress by staying still".

"No, I suppose not" Robo agreed, jogging ahead lightly to catch up with Yami.

As the two continued to proceed down the corridor, the walls soon lost the perfect white colours, and made way for doors. Curious to see if anyone was hiding in them, however the rooms were empty, housing only debris and papers neither of them could understand. Even though the doors seemed to grant hope within Yami, it quickly diminished with every door they opened, feeling helpless as they progressed down the corridor. After countless doors passed them, Yami gave up searching through them, only looking through them lightly to see if anything caught his interest.

After a couple of more doors, Yami noticed the corridor opened up into a larger room, though its contents were yet to be revealed. Robo had resorted to soothing and encouraging words, noticing the males depleting want to search for anyone, however as they approached the corner Robo's words became inaudible to the male.

Behind the corner, something echoed, and it mimicked Yami's footsteps. At first, he thought it was his own footsteps, echoing into the room ahead of them. But it soon became out of tune with his own steps, confirming that someone else was with them.

Yami pushed Robo up to the wall, getting a small yelp out of the machine, before he pressed himself against the wall. He listened more carefully, unable to hear the footsteps ahead of them, and wondered if they had been heard.

"Wh-What are you doing?!"

"Sshh!" Yami hushed, pointing to the corner, and holding the gun tightly in his hand "Be quiet".

"Sorry" Robo whispered, and sidled along the wall with Yami.

Yami felt his heart began to pace inside his chest as he moved closer to the edge of the wall, something inside him spurred danger and exhilaration into one, confusing himself to wonder if he should use the gun in his hands or not. Knowing he could not take any chances, he held the gun up high in his arms, and jumped out from the corner to aim the gun. However, he was met with the end of another gun, pointed directly to his head—and he knew what damage the weapons he saw could do.

The male was young, possibly only a few years older than Yami himself. He wore similar clothes to Yami, and looked to be alone just as Yami was—but without the robot companion—but there was no doubt about it, it was the person Yami had seen on the footage. He gave a small smile, and lowered his weapon, knowing he did not want to harm the other person.

"It's you…" Yami said quietly "I-I've been looking for you".

"Really?" His unsure voiced asked, moving his gun away too "How so? Do I know you?"

"No…b-but I saw you on the camera, and I knew I had to find you" Yami cleared his throat "My name's Yami".

"Yami…I'm Joey" He introduced, resting his gun against his shoulder "You work here or made here?"

"I'm…not really sure…I guess I was made here".

"Oh, cool" Joey gave a small smile "You're just like me then. I was wondering if I'd meet anyone else here like me".

"Yeah, me too".

The two were silent for a few moments, feeling the awkward but happy feeling of discovering each other, and knowing they were not alone in such a place anymore. Joey then turned to the corner, noticing Robo slowly walk out, and stand near Yami to be a part of the moment. The blond frowned, and held his gun in hands once more.

"Oh, looks like you got a problem" He muttered, aiming the gun at Robo "Let me help you get rid of it".

"O-Oh! No!"

"No stop!" Yami pleaded, standing in front of Robo "He's my friend! Don't shoot him!"

"Trust me, it'll be for the best" Joey tried to reason "These things aren't worth your life. Had one of my own, figured out it was trying to kill me! Well, I sorted him out easily".

"Th-That is not in my coding!" Robo defended, shaking his head "N-No! Not at all! No harm to humans, or any other living creature for that matter! None absolutely!"

"Robo's my friend! And I don't believe he would try to harm me or anyone! If he did, he would've tried it by now! So please, don't shoot him!"

Joey gave a hum, and flittered his gaze between Robo and Yami, trying to find some sort of excuse to argue against them. However, he gave in, and rested his gun down again. Yami and Robo both gave deep sighs, seeing that the danger was now passed.

"Alright, I'll take your word for it" Joey admitted, but quickly shot a glare to Robo "But if I smell danger, I'm blowing its head off".

"Yes…alright" Yami muttered, rolling his eyes.

"Alright?" Robo repeated "Might I remind you, I gave you the clothes, awoke you, and let you tug and pull at my body compartments! I would have thought you might have defended me a little more than one argument!"

Yami gave a small chuckle at Robo's words "A little whiner ain't he?" Joey remarked, earning some more of Robo's dislike "Hey Yami, you hungry? I know where to get some food".

"Hungry? I…haven't thought about food honestly" Yami admitted, then giving a small nod "Yeah…some food will be good".

"Cool, then follow me" Joey gave a small scowl at Robo "You don't have to come, you know, not being able to eat and all".

"Wh-What? You expect me to wonder on my own?!"

"Not my problem".

Joey led Yami into the larger room, leaving Robo to follow slowly behind the humans, grateful that Yami at least lingered behind to stick close to him. As they walked into the opened up room, Yami notice the several rows of tables in the centre of the room, all empty with only a few rotten leftovers. Small metal banners stood around the edges of the walls, but did not hold or show anything, so led a rather pointless life in the room. At the other end of the room, where Joey was walking to, seemed to be an opening for a small kitchen area. All sorts of equipment were stashed behind the counter; cookers, refrigerators, freezers, and other such necessary kitchen items. Whether they were working or not was another matter, but as Joey jumped over the counter, Yami knew he was going to find out soon.

Yami climbed over the counter, and followed Joey through the kitchen, giving Robo a reassuring smile as he stood outside waiting for them to return. Joey turned to one of the fridges, pulling on the door, and letting the cold air out as he searched through it. Yami gave a shiver, hugging his arms to compact himself, and watched as Joey took out some packets of meat out to inspect them.

"Not too old…you want hamburgers?"

Yami looked up at Joey "What's a hamburger?"

Joey gave a grin, elbowing the fridge door shut "You're gonna love this" He simply said, and made his way to the cookers.

The kitchen equipment seemed to be running perfectly fine, despite the destroyed conditions of other electrical technology in the building, but Yami tried not to question the logic of the electrical shortage. It was, after all, giving him the chance to eat cooked food. Joey did all the cooking, knowing what to do and how to cook after having some experience, he attempted to instruct Yami while doing so but lost track after a while.

While the humans were cooking up their small meal, Robo looked around the dining area, inspecting the rubbish left behind and other smaller details. He soon came across a metal banner, giving a small hum at its plain design and uninteresting lifestyle, he gave it a small tap before giving a yelp and backing up. At the touch of the robot, a holographic screen stretched over the banner, viewing a man who grinned outwards onto the dining room.

"Welcome candidate, to the Toyama research facility" The man introduced, catching the male's attentions, as they watched from the kitchen "Here, you will be a big part of our projects. You will be improving the social world, the war fields, and the medical branch of humanity today. And not just you, there are several thousands of you partaking in this project, thousands of wonderful heroes to everyone. If you ever need any assistance, the scientists' teams and their caretaker assistants will be there on hand. And remember this folks; you are Star Dust. And that name, will be spread across the decades. Have a good day everyone".

The screen flickered with static for a few moments, before the man reappeared once again, giving out the same speech on a continuous loop. After listening to the banner a few times, Joey gave a sound of irritation, before turning back to the food which was hissing away.

"Kinda makes you think we were they're kids right?" Joey commented.

"Suppose so…" Yami agreed, managing to pull his eyes away, and resume on cooking once more.

Once the food was thoroughly cooked—or at least, by Joey's definition of cooked—Joey slipped the meat into a pair of buns he had found, and took them out to the tables, so that both he and Yami could sit in relaxation while they ate. Yami looked at the food oddly, not understanding why the meat had to be between the bread, but bit into it anyway. Joey sat eagerly, waiting for Yami's verdict, before he ate his own meal.

"It's…juicy" Yami commented, chewing on the chunk he bit off "And…tastes of grease…"

"Great ain't it?" Joey chuckled, finally biting into his hamburger, and swallowing it with ease "Best food ever".

"Yeah…sure" Yami gave an unsure glance to the food, then shrugging his shoulders, he continued to eat his filling burger.

As they ate, Joey glanced at the banner behind Yami, seeing it still play the message over and over again. He gave a small frown at it, taking another bite out of his hamburger.

"Doesn't it piss you off?" Joey queried, nodding to the banner, so Yami could turn around to stare at it "The way they treat people and stuff?"

"I don't know…I haven't really met anyone to judge them" Yami admitted, facing back to the table "They could've…had the right intentions".

"Yeah right, the right intentions to create monsters. I'll believe that".

Yami lifted his head up "Monsters? What do you mean?"

"Haven't you seen them yet?" Yami gave a shake of his head, confused by what Joey had meant "Maybe you're lucky then. I call them Vermin. 'Cause that's what they are…vermin".

"What's…a Vermin then?" Yami inquired.

"Weird creatures, I don't know what they're supposed to be. But they're so high" Joey held his hand above the table, to demonstrate their height "And they have sharp teeth, shaper than knives. And blunt teeth, enough to crack your bones. From what I've seen, they're partially blind, but they know where you are 'cause they smell meat".

Yami gave a small stare at the blond, then looking down at the hamburger, noting the thick meat wedged between the bread. Joey gave a perplexed look, before looking down at his half eaten burger.

"Oh…umm…" Joey gave a small chuckle "Well…maybe it'll…pass…?"

"Right…" Yami hesitated to continue, but his new found hunger begged for more, so gave in and took another bite out of his burger.

"No worries though" Joey reassured, tapping his gun, which rested on the seat next to his "These guns kill in one shot, so there's no way I'm letting one get close to me or you. Okay?"

"Yeah…I guess it is good to be with other people…"

"You got that right".

"Excuse me" Joey frowned when he heard Robo's voice, looking up at the machinery, standing by Yami's side "But, what about my safety?"

"What about it?" Joey asked bluntly.

"Well, I hope you'll shoot off any hostile creatures from my body, won't you?"

"You've got armour plating, we've got flesh. Besides, what would they want with an uninteresting robot?"

"But in the circumstance that it does happen-"

"Then I'll protect you" Yami interrupted, smiling up at his friend "I won't let you get damaged any more than you have".

"You are quite kind sir".

Joey gave a snigger, catching the attention of the male "Sir" He chuckled.

The two continued to eat until they had consumed their hamburgers, and after the fear Joey had mentioned, they waited for their meat meal to digest so they would not be hunted. It gave the two more time to know each other, talk about things, and eventually come up with a mutual plan to take.

Joey had mentioned that he had heard of an escape route, though with a previous commotion, was unable to locate the whereabouts of said escape. He also knew of several routes to the other locations in the building, and after Yami expressed his wish to search for more people, Joey promised that he would lead Yami to the other ways.

Joey picked up his gun, and stood up from the table, followed by Yami who did the same actions "Hey Yami, what will you do if there isn't anyone else left?"

"Huh? What do you mean?" Yami asked.

"What if…we're the only two people here?" Joey turned to Yami, resting his gun against his shoulder "Will you be sad about that?"

"Maybe…a little" Yami admitted "But, right now, I want to focus on getting everyone together, and getting out of here. It seems like this place is too dangerous for us to stay here anyway".

"But…why do you want to find other people?" Joey gave a small laugh, though it seemed to be out of nerves than humour "Why me even? I mean, we've known each other for what? An hour?"

"Because…we're all humans. Despite what might have happened, or been created from, we're still human beings. And we all need to stick together, isn't that what human is all about? Being with each other?"

"Yeah…that sounds about right".

"Umm…what about me sir?" Robo asked.

Yami turned to him with a smile "You included Robo. You are my friend after all".

"Thank goodness. Got a little worried there".

"Alright, enough chat, and more moving am I right?" Joey then thumbed down to the rest of the corridor "We've gotta go this way, takes us to the west side of the building".

"Good".

Yami and Joey walked on ahead, though with much convincing, they walked at a slower pace so Robo was still part of their group and not left behind. They walked in silence as Yami took in the plain corridor once again, looking to see if any more doors were ahead of them, and deciding whether or not it was worth looking through them.

"Hey Yami…when we get out of here, what's the first thing you wanna do?" Joey asked.

"Huh? The first thing?" Yami repeated.

"Yeah. When we get out of here, I want to find the world's biggest hamburger" Joey pulled a grin at the thought, tilting his head slightly "And eat all to myself. I'll probably get so fat I won't be able to move, but it'll be worth it. How about you Yami?"

"I don't know…I didn't think of that" Yami gave a hum, looking away in thought "I suppose…being able to breathe in the fresh air…and look to the real sky…would suit me just fine".

"Man, you're easily pleased" Joey teased, patting his shoulder "But, I guess it's simple and easy. Easier than mine at least. We can breathe in the air together when we get out, alright?"

"Yes. And…I might help you with your hamburger, if you so wish".

"Sounds like a deal" Joey gave a chuckle, before pointing ahead "Up ahead, it turns into a corner, and a long corridor, but it'll take you to where you want to go".

"Good".

"May I ask" Robo spoke up, catching the blond's attention "Are there any stairs in the near future?"

"Oh yeah, tons of them" Joey replied, turning his head away, to hide the devilish smirk "This whole place is built on stairs".

"Oh no…" Robo groaned, but proceeded to catch up with the two humans, not wanting to let them down in their travels.

Once they reached the corner, Yami stopped to allow Robo to catch up, before proceeding on with Joey. He wondered who, or what, he was going to meet during his walk through the building. Regardless, he no longer needed to fear anything that was going to face them, just as long as he had Joey with him. He may not have known everything about Joey, to the extent of being able to fully trust him, but he was the only human he had come across, and he needed to stick with his own kind more than anything else.

******************************End of chapter 3*******************************

Who guessed it was Joey? Eh?

But it seems that Joey is kinda trigger happy, not that I blame him, guns that badass, mm!

I sure hope nothing bad will happen to them, you know?

Review and stay tuned for the next chapter!


	4. West section

Hm, with Joey and Yami together now, we're missing the third mate of this trio.

I wonder who it could be…

* * *

Chapter 4-West section

Yami and Robo stood back as they watched Joey, he attempted to open a stuck door, which was proving to be more difficult than he expected. After shoving the door handle down for a few minutes, he lost his patience, and forced his shoulder into it to open the door. After a few minutes of cursing and brute force, the door finally gave in, and flung open when Joey forced his body into it.

"There we go" Joey proudly said, giving a breathless sigh "Must've got stuck with age or something".

"I thought he said he had walked down this path many times" Robo commented towards Yami.

"Oi!" Joey shouted, lightly pointing the end of his gun at Robo "Shut it screw face".

"Screw face?"

"Just…don't start a fight" Yami attempted to soothe, following Joey through the door.

With Joey taking the lead again, the small group proceeded through the door, and continued on their travels. Joey picked up his pace a little, walking on ahead from the other two, and onto an overhanging bridge. The blond leaned over the ledge, looking below the bridge, before turning back to Yami and Robo before they crossed.

"Hey, if you don't like heights, don't look down, alright?" Joey warned, before continuing ahead "I'll get the other door open".

"Alright" Yami watched Joey run ahead, making the bridge shudder with each step, until he came to the door on the other side.

As Yami and Robo walked over the bridge, Yami's eyes kept glancing to the side, a small desire to want to look over the edge. After checking that Joey was focused on the door, Yami slowed his pace down, and glanced over the edge of the bridge. Below them was what appeared to be a bottomless hole, a dark ocean of shadows, waiting to consume any who fell into it. Yami turned back to face the path again, gripping tighter to the rails, as he took his steps with caution.

"Didn't he say not to look over the edge?" Robo inquired.

"Yeah" Yami gasped out "Curiosity got the better of me I guess".

"I see…curiosity gets you into a lot of trouble".

Yami managed out a small chuckle, and a nod "You're not wrong there Robo".

After making it to the other side, Yami made sure to keep his distance from the bridge, and waited until Joey had open the door for them. After another small struggle with the door, the blond had finally managed to open it, and stood back so Yami and Robo could walk through first.

"Welcome to the west side" Joey joked, before following the other two through.

Yami looked around the small corridor before them, opening up to a much larger corridor, as Yami suspected the layouts were roughly the same. The light above them had been broken, casting a small blanket of shadows over the small corridor, but it was light enough to see the blood smears over the walls. Faint streaks of blood ran down the corridor walls, only broken up by handprints, and another unidentifiable set of prints next to them. Yami walked closer to a blood stain, letting his hand stroke over it, before turning to Joey.

"It's dry, been a while since, whatever happened, happened".

"Yeah, I haven't seen anything" Joey commented, looking ahead into the corridor "Though, I know a lot of Vermin have been coming from this way, so I'm not surprised".

"Well, let's just keep alert while we're here, alright?"

"I'm always alert" Joey assured, tapping the side of his gun, before moving on "I doubt you'll find any survivors in here; let's just look for a way out, alright?"

"Alright Joey" Yami agreed, though eyed the blood stain wall as they walked by it.

As Robo caught up with Yami, he leaned closer to whisper to the male "What do you suppose happened? To cause all those markings".

Yami glanced at the bloody handprints once more, before shaking his head "I don't know. I don't wish to know".

Once walking out to the larger hallway, the group took a course, and began searching for any signs of any life. The holographic sky above them was starting to turn into a blazing orange sunset, casting a strange orange glow over the floors and doors, and illuminating the spots of blood down the corridor. However, they proceeded, and continued to search through the many empty offices.

However, when approaching one office, Joey slowed down his pace until he came to a halt. Once Joey had stopped, Yami and Robo stopped behind him, question about his still and alert stance. The blond turned to look over his shoulder, and without making a sound, placed a finger against his lips to show silence. Yami gave a nod, and tread cautiously closer as they reached the next door, making sure they did not give any sound. As Joey poked his head round the corner, he made a dash for the other side of the door, before placing himself against the wall. After checking the office again, Joey thumbed to the door, so Yami followed his order and looked inside.

The office had been trashed; papers, items, everything had been thrown around the room and near destroyed by the rampage. In amidst the destruction was a pool of fresh blood, soaked around a corpse, which was being eaten by some sort of animal.

The quadruped was extremely deformed, with unnatural bulges over its body—even to the point where some looked like extra bones, sticking out of place—and with an unusual height compared to the two watching. It did not seem to notice the intruders behind them, and was happy eating away its meal, having a small struggle with tearing flesh off from the bones.

Yami turned back to Joey, wondering what their next plan was, knowing that they could not hide far from the beast. However, Joey made sure he was pressed firmly against the wall, as he leaned in and aimed his gun at the monster. He waited a few moments, making sure they had not been detected, before pulling on the trigger.

The loud boom made Yami cringe, but not as much as the animal's screams. Joey had shot it successfully in the side, burning a deep enough hole, passing through bones and organs. The creature gave a high pitched wail, turning gurgled as blood filled its mouth and spewed from its side, continuously screaming in pain until it fell over with a heavy thud. After checking down the corridor, Joey walked into the office, approaching the dead corpses carefully. He looked down at the animal, prodding it with his shoes, and getting no response from it.

"Yep, it's dead alright" Joey assured, before turning to the human "Poor bastard, I reckon he was probably eaten alive".

"Is that…one of the Vermin you spoke about?" Yami asked, sticking close to the door.

"Yeah, you see why I call them that, right?" Joey looked back at Yami, tilting his head "Hey, you alright Yami? You look a little pale?"

"N-No I…I think…I might be sick…"

Yami turned away from the door, taking heavy breaths through his hand, which he had placed tightly over his mouth. Joey jogged back to Yami, patting his back a little to comfort him.

"You alright? Weak to blood or something?"

Yami shook his head "No, no it's…it's the smell. It smells so awful…"

"I know. Kneel down and put your head between your knees, it'll pass alright?"

Yami gave a nod, but gladly sunk to his knees, resting his head between his knees. He took deep heavy breathes, as he stared down at the floor, hoping that he would not vomit in front of his friends.

"Isn't that what you should do with motion sickness?" Robo queried.

"Well do you want to offer your head as a bucket?" Joey retorted, not waiting for a response, he turned back to the office "I'll look around, keep an eye on Yami alright?"

"O-Of course" Joey walked into the office, leaving Robo and Yami outside. After watching Yami take deep breaths, Robo slowly lowered himself down, and placed a hand on Yami's back "Are you alright now sir?"

"Yeah. Yeah I'll be alright" Yami reassured weakly "I-I just…the smell was strong is all…"

"I'll take your word for it, I'm afraid I don't come with extra senses".

"Heh. Lucky you".

Joey spent a couple of minutes looking around the office, searching through the papers and drawers for anything that would be of use, giving Yami the time to recover in peace. After coming up with nothing, Joey left the office behind, and shut the door to trap in the corpses and smell.

"Nothing in there" Joey said, sighing as he slumped his shoulders "We can keep going now, do you feel up to walking yet Yami?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine" Yami pushed himself up onto his feet, and gave a final sigh "Let's just keep moving".

"Fine by me. Now that we know this place still has Vermin, we need to do more moving and less delaying, so don't slow us down screw face".

"I do try to keep up" Robo assured, making sure to take larger steps as he followed them.

"Yeah, but you're slow as hell".

The group continued on down the corridor, occasionally checking in on the offices they passed, hoping there would be some indication on which direction to take. However, the further down they proceeded, bodies appeared more frequently. Some had clearly been mauled and eaten by the Vermin, leaving only the ripped corpses behind, rotting out the offices. Others had obvious signs of suicide, hung up by the ceiling or used needles found in the drawers, it was clear they did not want to wait an uncertain fate for themselves. It was a depressing sight for them to see, but they continued on, knowing that there was nothing they could do for them anymore.

After searching through another office, Joey walked out of it with a sigh, before shutting the door behind him "Nothing again, just some more bodies" Joey shrugged his shoulders, before turning to face Yami "Let's just move on. No one's survived here, obviously, and we won't find anything useful, let's just focus on getting out okay?"

Yami gave a small nod, showing he understood Joey's advice "Yeah…alright. Let's go".

They continued walking down the corridor, only briefly glancing at the doors they passed, on the off chance that there did happen to be something there. However, after walking ahead a few minutes, Joey held his arm out to stop Yami walking.

"Do you hear that?" Joey asked quietly.

Yami frowned, and listened carefully, trying to spot anything out of place in sound. There was a faint panting in the distance, and patting of feet, which was steadily growing closer. After noting that it was not a normal sound, Yami turned to Joey to ask what it was, but watched as Joey reloaded his gun.

"Get your gun ready" Joey advised, holding his gun out, ready to shoot anything that came down the corridor.

Yami quickly reloaded his gun, and held it up in front of him, ready to shoot at anything that possessed danger to them. As the sounds progressed further, they glanced around the corridor, almost expecting it to come from behind them.

After turning a corner, the small man turned the corner, barely having time to react to the group before taking off in a sprint again. After running a few steps, two bounding Vermin followed after the male, intent on hunting down the human for a meal.

"Get down!" Joey ordered, aiming his gun at the Vermin. Yami followed his lead, holding the gun up, and aiming it at the other approaching Vermin.

At the sight of the guns, the young male quickly dropped to the floor, covering his head in a feeble attempt to protect himself. With a clear view of the danger, Joey and Yami both shot at the Vermin, letting the loud boom noise ring through their ears. Both hit the Vermin perfectly, Yami hitting it one on its back, and Joey hitting it the other on its legs. Both gave yelps and screams of pain, before collapsing to the floor, succumbing to death. Joey walked closer to the Vermin, loading up his gun again, before aiming it at the struggling survive and shooting its head.

"They're dead" Joey assured, lowering his weapon again.

The male gave a sigh at the news, and let go of his head, allowing himself to calm down and push himself back up onto his feet "Thank you…I-I thought I would be running forever…"

"Hold up, who are you?" Joey questioned, giving Yami and Robo a chance to walk closer "Are you one of the lab workers?"

"Lab workers…? N-No, my name is Yugi" He introduced.

"Yugi, I'm Yami" Yami introduced, before turning to Joey and Robo "This is Joey and Robo".

"Nice to meet you…"

"Way to be thorough" Joey muttered to Yami, before turning back to Yugi "It looked pretty clear that everyone here didn't make it".

"Yes, it seemed so" Yugi agreed "And yet, here you two are. Perhaps there is more life in these closed walls, then what first appears".

"Maybe, maybe not".

"Joey, I know you want to be cautious" Yami said, then turning to Yugi "But he's a person just like us, you can't really interrogate him for surviving, he means no harm to us".

Joey gave an uncomfortable sigh, but shrugged his shoulders "Okay, so he's alright. I just don't want to meet some sneaky bastard that'll stab us in the back, like screw face".

"I have yet to do anything to prove that I will cause you any harm" Robo defended.

"Yet" Joey repeated, glaring at the robot.

"I'm sure-Robo was it?-is speaking the truth" Yugi assured, giving a sweet smile to the robot "After all, it isn't his ability to lie, is it?"

"That is most true sir" Robo agreed.

Yugi gave a chuckle, hiding it behind his hand "Sir" He repeated quietly.

"At any rate, you can tag along with us" Joey explained, interrupting a possible conversation between the two "We aren't on a rescue mission, we're just trying to find a way out of here".

"You don't know the way out?" The two shook their heads "But, Robo is a working robot right? Doesn't he have a built in print of the building, including exits and routes?"

"Oh, does he?" Joey turned to Robo, sending him another glare "Been holding back on us, eh screw face?"

"Ah, no, see, the thing is…"

"Robo has a bad memory" Yami explained, defending him from Joey's gaze "Damaged. He probably doesn't remember it. If he did, he would have told us by now".

"Th-That is most correct. I barely remember anything at all, why, it is quite lucky that I am of use at all!"

"I'm sure you're useful Robo" Yugi assured, before turning to the other two "Well, if it's any help, I may know where to find a…layout or…something to show where the exit is".

"Really?" Joey asked, tilting his head "Where?"

"In the control rooms, below our feet" Yugi explained, giving a small smile when Yami looked down to his feet "They hold everything important to this building, so, naturally, it would have a map of some sort right?"

"I…guess. You know how to get there?"

"Yes. It's a bit of a trek, but I know a way".

"How? Why didn't you leave if you knew how?"

Yugi gave a sigh "The…tunnels where the control rooms are, they're very dark, and those…creatures like the darkness a lot. I was chased out before I could go any further…"

"So, in order to leave…" Yami said distantly.

"We have to play with death" Joey finished, giving a sigh "Vermin are really starting to piss me off".

"Vermin, is that what they're called?" Yugi inquired.

"Got no better name for them" Joey shrugged his shoulders casually "Alright, so, what's the plan from here? Go get ourselves killed, or wait to be killed?"

"Do I get a vote?" Robo questioned.

"No".

"Well seeing that you have formidable weapons" Yugi spoke, glancing to their guns "We might stand a better chance against them…but, I don't know how many there are, and there's only two guns…"

Yami looked down at his gun in thought, before looking up at Joey "Well, what have we got to lose? If we don't try, we'll just end up dying anyway. It's worth the risk".

"Yeah…maybe" Joey hummed in thought, before sighing in defeat "Alright, you got a point, it's better to die trying then doing nothing. Yugi, do you know the way down then?"

Yugi gave a nod "Yes. There's a flight of stairs through some labs, that'll take us down there, but past them I won't be of any use".

"Oh no" Robo groaned, hanging his head "Stairs".

Yugi gave a smile, slipping past Yami and Joey, and holding Robo's hand tightly in his own "Don't worry about Robo, you can walk ahead with me, okay?"

"But, I'm afraid I will drag you behind".

"It's no problem, honest".

"Well…th-thank you" Robo allowed himself to get pulled along by Yugi, keeping his electronic hand tightly around Yugi's "You are a very nice sir…"

"Am I? You're nice too Robo".

Yami and Joey stayed back, letting Yugi and Robo take lead in their group, and to carry on their conversation uninterrupted. Joey gave a sigh, however, and started walking when they had taken enough steps ahead of them.

"The faster we get out of here…the better" Joey muttered, stepping over the dead bodies of the Vermin, and carrying on.

Yami gave a small hum in agreement, and briefly paused at the destroyed bodies, watching the blood still slowly seeping out from the holes in their bodies. As nausea started to settle in his stomach, Yami gave one last glance behind him to check the corridor was empty, before catching up with Joey. Following Yugi deeper into the building, and holding on to the small glimmer of hope.

******************************End of chapter 4*******************************

I'm gonna say this now, 'cause I won't later.

I'm sorry!

Review and stay tuned for the next chapter!


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